Fluid-controlling mechanism.



M: i. CROWE.

FUND CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. 1917.

Patented May 28,1918.

INVENTOR WITNESS ATTORNEY ll V FLUID-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2%, 191.

Application filed May 25, 1917. .SeriaINo. 170,948.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES Crown, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valve mechanism, and has particular reference to improved mechanism for governing the flow of beer or other fluid from a supply barrel to a dispensing element.

The primary object of the" invention resides in the provision of valve mechanism, which is operable to be positioned within a system of piping, principally employed in conveying fermented liquor from a supply barrel to points for cooling and dispensing,

'whereby all of the fluid contained in said barrel will be withdrawn therefrom and utilized, and undue waste thereof eliminated.

With this and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention accordingly consists in the novel features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, and set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism comprising the preferred form of the present invention, illustrating the same as sociated with fluid containing barrels and cooling coils.

Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view taken through the valve receptacle, and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Hitherto considerable difficulty has been encountered in withdrawing the full contents of a barrel of beer or the like, due to the fact that when the fluid contained by the barrel reaches a low level it becomes frothy in quality, so that it cannot be properly forced through the usual discharge pipes by pneumatic pressure, this being due to the fact that the body thereof is not sufficiently dense to enable the fluid to withstand air pressure so as to retain its normal condition. Thus under present conditions it is necessary to discard the barrel before all the fluid contained thereby is utilized, and this results in a waste of fluid varying from one-half gallon to one gallon, in a barrel having a capacity of approximately 30 gallons.

In order to obviate this waste, and to pipe 5 is carried by the plate 4 and extends vertically within the receptacle, said pipe terminating immediately adjacent to the bottom 6 of the casing. The upper extremity of the pipe is provided with an en larged head 7 resting upon the exterior surface of the plate 4, and a Y-shaped pipe 7 is secured to the said upper extremity of the pipe 5 by means of a threaded nut 8. The branched extremities of the pipe 7 are provided with valves 9, and are provided with communicating pipes 10 which lead to vertically arranged pipes 11. The latter are adapted to extend, as usual, into bungholes 12 provided in fluid-containing barrels 13 and terminate adjacent to the bottoms of the latter. Thus when the valves of the pipes 7 and 11 are open, fluid will flow from the barrels 13 to the receptacle 2, this being accomplished by the action. of air under pressure pressing upon the body of the fluid contained within the barrels 13, as is usual and well understood. Ordinarily fluid will only flow from one of the barrels 18,not both, so that when one of the barrels is empty fluid will be conveyed to the receptacle 2 by opening the valves controlling the flow of fluid from the other barrels. The plate 4 also carries an airescape valve pipe 14, which permits of the release of air from the receptacle when the latter is being filled with a suitable fluid.

An outlet pipe 15 protrudes into the receptacle 2, and is disposed in parallel relation to the pipe 5, the pipe 15 being retained in place within the receptacle by being suitably secured to the top plate 4. The lower extremity of the outlet pipe is provided with an upwardly-bent neck 16, which terminates adjacent to the bottom 6 of the receptacle, and is provided with an enlarged valve seat 17. Spaced brackets 18 are adjustably carried by the pipe 15, and are provided with suitable bearings for the reception of a vertically movable valve stem 19. The lower extremity of the stem 19 is provided with a valve 20, which is adapted to open and close the seat 17. A float 21 of cork or the like is carried by the stem 19, and is utilized to automatically open and close the valve'20, in accordance with the amount of fluid contained by the receptacle. When the receptacle 2 becomes substantially filledw'ith fluid received from one of the barrels 18, it will be seen that the valve 20 will be lifted by the floating action of its stem 19, thus permitting fluid to be withdrawn from the receptacle by way of the outlet pipe 15. A valve and branched pipe element 22 is connected with the upper extremity of the outlet pipe and from which leads piping 23,-the latter being associated with the usualcooling coils 2 1, commonly found in beer-distributing systems. A valve vent pipe is provided in the bottom 6 of the receptacle, and is employed to drain fluid from the latter at suitable periods.

In operation, when the fluid within the receptacle 2 begins to lower, thevalve 20 same and the receptacle 2 are closed by means of the valves carried thereby, and a second barrel is then thrown into operation by opening the valves in the connections extending from the same to the receptacle,-

thus enabling the said receptacle to be again filled with fluid to permit of the opening of the valve 20, as will be clearly understood.

, From the foregoing it is seen that there is provided a-device wherein the objects of the present invention have been achieved, and that all of the advantageous features above mentioned are, among others, present. The

mechanism is relatively simple in construction, of few parts and therefore not likely to become out of order, the same can be cheaply manufactured and installed, with a minimum expense.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new and patentable is:

1. In fluid controlling mechanism of the class described, the combination with a source of fluid supply, of a closed receptacle, a valved pipe extending from said fluid supply into said receptacle and termimiting adjacent the bottom thereof, an outlet pipe extending into said receptacle and provided at its lower end with a valve seat, a valve engageable with said seat, and a float associated with said valve operable to open and close said outlet pipe when fluid within said receptacle reaches predetermined levels, said located adjacent to said bottom, and a floatactuated valve operable to open and close the neck of said outlet pipe when fluid within said receptacle reaches predetermined levels.

3. In fluid controlling mechanism of the class described, the combination with a source of fluid supply, of a receptacle, a valved inlet pipe extending from said fluid supply to within said receptacle and terminating adjacent the bottom thereof, an outlet pipe having portions thereof positioned within said receptacle, and terminating in an upwardly bent neck adjacent the bottom of the receptacle, guide brackets secured on said outlet pipe, a rod slidable through said brackets, a valve on the lower end of said rod engageable upon the end of said neck, and a float secured to said rod whereby said valve will be operated to open and close said neck when fluid within said receptacle reaches predetermined levels.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

JAMES GROWE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

